Agence France Presse

Wellington, February 13:

New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell faced a series of injuries to key players as he began on Sunday the delicate balancing act of picking a fit side to face Australia.

Bracewell named a predictable squad of 13 for Thursday’s tour-opening Twenty/20 match in Auckland, but delayed naming his side for Saturday’s first ODI in Wellington before assessing various niggles.

Included in the 13 were injury-troubled bowlers Kyle Mills (Achilles tendon), Jeff Wilson (shoulder), Daniel Vettori (back) and Scott Styris (knee). Along with frontline pacemen Chris Cairns and Daryl Tuffey they all missed Sunday’s State of Origin match as a precaution.

New ball bowler Mills faces a fitness test before Bracewell names the one-day side as he tries to nurse his bowlers through next two months.

Andre Adams, named in the Twenty/20 squad after recovering from a virus, will likely be considered during the one-day series along with fringe men James Franklin and Tama Canning, and in-form domestic bowlers Graeme Aldridge and Lance Hamilton.